The horrors of the past should not continue to be celebrated as is demonstrated by the honours/birthday list with the British Empire Medal, CBE,OBE and the MBE.  Their continued existence serves as a repeated reminder of a most dehumanising time for Black and Brown individuals across numerous continents.

The British Empire (B E) span a period starting during the 15th century (1490’s) into the 20th century (1950’s).  At its height in 1922 the B E was the largest empire the world had ever seen. It’s span of control covered approximately one quarter  of the earth’s land surface and ruled over 458 million people! Grown on the back of the colonies the British economy grew exponentially.

For the individuals who were colonised the period was marked by the deaths of over 1 million individuals.  The B E was characterised by genocide, brutality and heinous treatment of men, women and children.

From a list of the 10 most brutal Empires, the B E ranked number 2 above Nazi Germany.

I support individuals being recognised for their good work/actions and wish this to continue.  However desist from British Empire reference. A positive demonstration towards reconciliation and moving forward.